Stories by MICHELE LIANFor 12 weeks, 10 girls lived their lives on TV as they competed to impress their idol, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza. There could only be one winner....
THEY longed to shine, and that’s just what they did on live television last Sunday night.
The 10 stars of the Siti Nurhaliza Mencari Bintang Pantene (Siti Nurhaliza Seeks a Pantene Star) reality TV show appeared on air together for the last time before its top three finalists got their chance to make their final bid to become Malaysia’s first “Bintang Pantene” (Pantene star).
It was clearly an emotional night for Nurul Azni Mohd Jesni, Rusdiana Rusdi and Rafidah Ibrahim, beginning with the elimination of Nurul Azni – a decision that was determined by a combination of SMS viewer votes and the verdict of the night’s judges, Pantene ambassador Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and Ivy Sam, media manager of Procter & Gamble Malaysia, the manufacturer and distributor of Pantene in Malaysia.
With Nurul Azni out of the picture, all Rusdiana and Rafidah had to do was to impress the judges in a question and answer segment to cinch the title. The winner would receive RM10,000 cash, a gold pendant, and her very own Pantene television commercial.
Shining through
In the end, it was Rafidah’s winning smile, composure and eloquent delivery that convinced the judges that she had the “shine” factor they were looking for.
“I feel so lucky,” said the 20-year-old business management student from Kolej ShahPutra in Kuantan when approached later.
“This competition has made me so much stronger,” admitted Rafidah, who grew up in Kuala Lumpur.
“Being in this show has taught me so much, especially how to think ahead and keep an open mind. I’ve definitely grown up. The challenges have strengthened me physically and mentally.”
With the prize money, she plans to repay her mother, who raised Rafidah and her siblings alone after the death of their father several years ago.
“We’ve been having money problems, and my mother only has her pension to live on, but she still does so much for me so I can go further,” said Rafidah, who took a semester off from college to vie for the title.
She’s also hoping that winning the title will give her the exposure she needs to launch a singing career.
“Hopefully, with my talent, which I will hone, I will make it. I’ll be coming up with a career plan soon, with the help of my family,” said the aspiring singer, who bears an uncanny resemblance to her idol, Siti.
When the going gets tough ?
The search for Pantene’s first Bintang Pantene began in November in Malacca, where the first round of auditions were held. This was followed by similar auditions in Johor Baru and Penang, with the search ending in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 1 with a total of 14 contestants.
This number was whittled down again on Dec 2, when 10 girls were chosen (by Siti and two other judges) to move in to The House of Pantene in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL, where the girls were filmed for 12 weeks.
In each week’s episode, which aired on TV3, viewers watched as the contestants faced a series of gruelling physical, emotional and social challenges, all presented by Siti. Seven girls were voted off throughout the 12 weeks, leaving the remaining three to compete for the title.
Among the obstacles put before them: an army boot-camp style physical challenge in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan; mastering grooming and presentation skills; raising funds for an orphanage; handling the press; and throwing a surprise birthday party for Siti. Week 12 culminated with each girl starring in her very own Pantene commercial.
“The most difficult parts of the competition for me were the physical ones,” said Rafidah.
“I found them not only challenging physically but mentally as well, as we had to react to different problems that came up.”
These “problems”, confided Rafidah, included minor accidents and the anguish of lagging behind the competition.
“We had to race go-karts at one point, and because one of us had an accident, I became responsible for racing on another girl’s behalf.
“It didn’t help that we lost several rounds. It was hard to keep going while keeping my emotions in check, especially when you feel like crying and giving up. We had to keep motivating each other to keep going.”
And contrary to what most viewers might think, Rafidah insisted that there was no hint of nastiness among the girls.
“We depended on, and in most instances, helped each other to get through each experience.
“This definitely made our lives a lot easier.”
‘Siti Nurhaliza Mencari Bintang Pantene’ aired on TV3 from Dec 17 to March 11 2007
1 comment:
salam.hi.semoga semakin hebat mengejar cinta DIA.
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